Marking machine



Jan. 7, 1941. H, Q, BATES 2,227,694

MARKING MACHINE Filed July 16, 1938 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 ATTORNEYS order. type or dies can be made up in the form of segl0 55 it will be appreciated that the platen il and the concaved face of the platen i8 at all times, 5g

Patented Jan. 1, 1941 i UNITED STATES 4PATENT OFFICE p :,zzusi i r l MARKING MACHINE Harold 0. Bata. Union, N. J., assigner to The Okonite Company, Passaic, N. J., a corporation of New Jerney Anneau@ my 1c, 193s, smal N. `:nasse 4 cnam. (ci. 10i-ssi This invention is directed to an improvement type or die wheel 24 can be properlylined upA in machines for applying letters, figures, symwith respect to each other by manipulationcf bols or other characters to the insulation or coatthe thumb-nuts 22 and 3|).` It will be apparent ing of wires and cables. Y also that by proper adjustment of the screw Ii,

5 One object of my invention is the provision of the correct pressure can be imposed on the coatl a machine such as above indicated which will be ing of a cable or wire passing between the platen i well adapted for the purpose, and which is simand type wheel.` i t i ple, emcient and practicable in construction and The type or die wheel 24 can be solid with the operation, foolproof and unlikely to get out of type or dies engraved on the face thereof, or the A further object of my invention is the proviments 32, slotted as shown at 33, these slots re-` sion of a marking machine which can be set in ceiving tongues 35 on the inner face of plate 34, the nnishing line in the manufacture of covered which is fastened to the face of the wheelby wire and cable for printing or marking the coverscrews 36. For convenience of illustration ing of the wire, no driving means being `necesonly, impressionshave been shown only on two l5 sary except the passing of the wire through the type segments 32, those immediately adjacent the machine. f wire. It will be understood, of `course,`that,the i In the accompanying drawings wherein I have impressions extend fully around the periphery illustrated an embodiment of my invention: of the typeor die wheel in order that, as pointed Fig. 1 is a section on the line I--I of Fig. 2; out above, no driving means is necessary except gg Fig. 2 is an elevational view of the machine; the passage of the wire throughthe machine. and i i The face of the type or` die segments iscon- Fig. 3 is a sectional detail view of apart of the caved, as seen in Fig. 3, to conform to the surmarking die and cooperating platen. face of the cover 38 of the wire or cable 4l which Referring to the drawings in detail: 2 4desigpasses between the grcoved face 42 of theplaten 25 nates the frame of the machine which takes the and the ccncaved type, when the machine isin form, for example, of an elongated vertically exoperation, as will be understood. f tending metal plate, secured in any convenient Above the shaft 22 the frame 2 is provided with fashion as, for example, by angle irons 4 to suita block 44 adjustable vertically of the frame and 3o able base or foundation members I. held in adjusted position by" lock nut 46.l This 30 The frame 2 adjacent its lower end is provided block carries a bracket or support 48 for mountwlth a rectangular opening 4 for the reception inginking rollers 50, 52 and 54. i of a vertically adjustable block Il carrying a The inking rollers are mounted in ball bearstub shaft l2. The block Il is mounted on ings and the face of each roller is rubber cornsprings i4 and vertical adjustment of the block position.

in the opening I is accomplished by thumb-screw Above the block 44 the frame 2 is provided with i.. a block 5i which is adjustable vertically of the Rotatably mounted on the bearing shaft l2 is frame, and held in adjusted position by aglocl:` a grooved pulley or platen Il. Spring 2l is also nut 58. Adjustment of this block is effected by i carried by the shaft I2 intermediate the pulley thumb-screw 60. This block 56 carries a shaft d Il and the block III. The inner end of the shaft l2 on which is mounted an inking wheel 64. The l2 is provided with thumb-nut 22. By manipuface, of this inking wheel contacts the inklng lation of this thumb-nut the platen ig can be roller and is grooved, as shown at 68. The` properly spaced from the face of the frame 2, block 56 also carries bracket 10 supporting lnk Extending through the frame 2 parallel to `and Supply IESeIVOI' 53, the face 0f the inkirl Wheel 45 above the stub shaft I2 is a stub shaft 22 carryi4 extending into the bottom of this reservoir. ing a type or die wheel 24, This wheel is freely This Construction, together with the fact `that rotatable on the shaft 22 on ball bearings 26. the face of the inking wheel 64 is provided with The shaft 22 also carries a tension spring 2l inthe groove B6, provides for the feeding of a pre- 50 termediate the type or die wheel 24 and the face determined amount of ink to the face of the 5g of the frame 2. By adjustment of the thumbwheel i4 at all times.' nut lil on the inner end of the shaft 22 proper Adjacent the platen i0 is a tank or reservoir 12 spacing of the wheel from the frame can readily containing a suitable cil, for instance, and probe effected. vided with a wick 14 which constantly engages this arrangement preventing the coating on the cable or wire being marred from building up on the face of the platen.

It will be seen from the drawings that the covered wire or cable as it moves forward passes between the roller Il and the die roller 2l, and no driving mechanism is required for the entire vmachine other than the act of drawing the wire or cable through it.

Inasmuch as the platen Il, the lnking rollers and inking wheel are all adjustable in the frame 2, it will be quite apparent that the parts can be adjusted so as to provide the proper pressure between the faces of the various wheels and rollers and also so that the type or die on the i'ace of the type or die wheel 24 will bear wtih the proper pressure upon the cover or insulation Il of the cable 40 in order that the desired symbols, characters and other markings may be applied to this covering as the cable passes through the machine.

My machine will print coated wire while the coating is still soft and the-imprint will remain after being further coated with paraffin or wax coating. I might say, also, that my machine is adapted to print a paraffin or wax coated wire as well as a wire having cloth, fabric, rubber or other coating.

It is to be understood that changes may be made in the details of construction and arrangement of parts above described without departing from the spirit and scope of my invention.

What I claim is:

1. In a machine of the class described, the combination of a vertically extending supporting frame, a supporting block extending through the frame, compression springs beneath the block, an adjusting screw above the block for adjusting the compression springs,` a stub shaft extending through and supported by the block, a platen carried thereby, a compression spring intermediate the frame and said platen, said shaft being adjustable lengthwise to vary the spacing of the platen from the said supporting frame, and a thumb-nut for holding the shaft in adjusted position.

2. In a machine of the class described, the combination of a vertically extending supporting frame, a supporting block extending through the frame, and vertically slidable in guides therein, compression springs beneath the block, an

die wheel 24 and adjusting screw above the block for adjusting the compression springs, a stub shaft extending through and supported by the block, a platen roll freely rotatable thereon, a stub shaft above the first mentioned shaft extending parallel thereto, said last mentioned shaft being adjustable in an axial direction in said frame, and a type wheel freely rotatable on the last mentioned shaft with its periphery aligned with the periphery of the platen and spaced therefrom to provide for the reception of a traveling covered wire to be marked, the platen and typ'e wheel being constructed and arranged to retain a cable injalignment with said type wheel. i

3. A cable printing machine comprising a frame, a type wheel journaled for rotation around a continuous shaft and freely rotatable thereon, the type wheel and platen being so constructed and arranged thatthey are rotated by drawing the wire or cable through the machine, an inking roller resiliently bearing against said type and a platen wheel resiliently mounted for rotation adjacent to said type and constructed and arranged to bear against a strand of wire while the latter is in engagement with said type, said platen wheel having a V shaped periphery to retain the strand in alignment with the type and means for applying oil to the said poriphery.

4. A cable printing machine adapted to print on a cable having a wet coating thereon comprising a stub shaft, a type whel mounted for free rotation upon.said shaft and having a grooved line of type thereon, means for applying ink to said type, a second stub shaft parallel to said rst mentioned shaft, a grooved platen mounted for free rotation upon said second shaft, said shafts being so spaced as to bring said platen into alignment with and in spaced relation to said type wheel, means for adjustably varying the spaced relation of said wheels whereby the printing pressure may be accurately determined independent of other factors, said parts being so conment of the cable between them in contact with the type and means for continuously applying a lm of oil to said platen to protect said wet coating from damage.

HAROLD O. BATES. 

